WRITTEN EVIDENCE
SUBMITTED BY
JOHN HIRST
(PVR 3)
I am John Hirst who took Hirst v UK (No 2)
to the ECtHR, and the Council of Europe has confirmed in writing
that I own the case bearing my name by viture of intellectual
property right.
I watched with interest the "Political and Constitutional
Reform Committee hears from legal experts on prisoner voting".
And, given that "A backbench debate on voting by prisoners
will be held in the House of Commons Chamber shortly, and the
committee's session is intended to inform that debate".
I wonder if it would be possible for me, as a legal
expert, to add my comments in your report to be published?
I am aware from listening to the Parliament TV programme
that the meeting was arranged at short notice. Nevertheless, I
am disappointed that my being the foremost authority of the leading
case on prisoners votes that I was not invited to give evidence.
I have High-functioning autism (Aspergers Syndrome)
and the benefit of this is that I have an encyclopaedic knowledge
of constitutional law, administrative law, public law, private
law, prison law, international law, and European law as it applies
to my case. My attention to detail is needle sharp, and the devil
is in the detail.
It is in everybody's interest that I am heard, because
a failure to do so will only lead to even more problems further
down the road. Ignore me at your peril. When I transformed from
a lawbreaker to a law-maker, my desire was to also reform the
criminal justice and penal systems. Like a poacher turned gamekeeper
I know where the traps are laid. My case is very simple, and straight
forward. It becomes complex when there is any attempt to deviate
from the Court judgment, the straight and narrow path, because
the danger comes then from entering a legal minefield. I know
because I laid the mines. It is in the UK's best interest not
to have these blow up in faces.
I feel I ought to point out that the Backbench Business
Committee's motion is flawed in that it claims Hirst v UK (No
2) "held that there had been no substantive debate by
members of the legislature on the continued justification for
maintaining a general restriction on the right of prisoners to
vote; acknowledges the treaty obligations of the UK". It
was not held by the Court at all, rather this was part of my argument
which the Court accepted as a valid point.
Secondly, I would contend that this motion is an
attempt to mislead Parliament and as such would be a contempt
of Parliament if it was not amended before next Thursday. It is
untruthful for the Backbench Business Committee to claim that
it "acknowledges the treaty obligations of the UK".
The evidence is to the contrary. So far, Jack Straw and David
Davis can be shown to have made untruthful statements. Presently,
so far, only Dominic Raab is in the clear. However, I will be
watching his every move and listening to his every word to ensure
that he stays the right side of the law.
Whilst it may be a valid point that "legislative
decisions of this nature should be a matter for democratically
elected lawmakers", it needs to be borne in mind that Parliament
abdicated responsibility in this matter previously and I caught
Parliament bang to rights. There is a big legal question mark
over whether the present Parliament has been democratically elected,
given that a large section of society which should have cast their
votes at the last general election were denied the opportunity.
This part "and supports the current situation
in which no sentenced prisoner is able to vote except those imprisoned
for contempt, default or on remand" obviously contradicts
this part "acknowledges the treaty obligations of the UK".
I noticed several inaccuracies and oversights during
your session. And also the issue of what is reasonable cropped
up. My understanding of this is the Wednesbury reasonableness
test. It is unreasonable for a decision-maker to take into account
irrelevant factors and to fail to take into account relevant factors.
I trust that you will take into account my offer
of assistance in what Lord Mackay of Clashfern referred to in
his evidence as "The Hirst Problem"? In Frodl v Austria
the Chamber referred to the Hirst test. Unless the UK meets this
it will not be free of the shackles of guilt and shame attached
for not remedying the breach of human rights under the Convention.
2 February 2011
| 
